More The Louvre Museum in Paris is structured like an upside-down "U". At the far back is the Sully Wing. To the left is the Richelieu Wing and on the right is the Denon Wing . The glass pyramid is located at the centre of the "U". Each of the three wings has four floors: Rez-de-Chaussee (ground floor - first floor) Entresol (mezzanine above the ground floor) 1er Etage (second floor) Louvre Sully Wing? - Paris Forum - TripAdvisor Louvre Sully Wing? - Paris Forum Review a place you’ve visited JOIN Which Paris hotels are on sale? mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 2:38 AM I wanted to visit the Sully Wing, rooms 36-49, on a different day than I had planned the rest of my visit to the Louvre, as those rooms are closed on the other day. Which entrance would I take to get to these rooms the easiest/quickets? I don't necessarily have a time constraint, but I don't want to wander through the entire Louvre just trying to find these particular rooms!

I looked at the Louvre website and they of course had a map, but they didn't have any room numbers listed, only wings and entrances. Thanks. Edited: 2:41 am, December 03, 2012 Report inappropriate content Travelers interested in this topic also viewed... Show Prices 1. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 3:49 AM I have just checked the free map/ info leaflet that you get at the entrance and it has all the rooms numbered so if you can work out the levels it's pretty straight forward. If you pre-purchase your tickets you will avoid very long queues and basically walk straight in. Edited: 3:50 am, December 03, 2012 Report inappropriate content 2. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 4:06 AM No need to pre-purchase tickets. The queues at the Louvre are for security, not tickets. They can be avoided by using the Louvre entry from the underground Carousel shopping centre.

So far as I know, all the entrances lead into the central area where tickets are sold, and entry to all the wings is from that area. Report inappropriate content 3. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 4:30 AM Exactly, the Sully wing is accessed from the central area. As you get in the Sully wing, just orientate to the rooms you want to see. The walk required to reach the rooms cannot be avoided. The entry sequence is security check -> ticket desk (in case of no pre-purchased tickets) -> entering a wing It looks like the Carousel centre commercial entrance works quite well, and it can be recommended especially if the weather is not that great. I would perhaps buy my tickets in advance, as in case of bad luck there can be queues at the ticket desks (inside, in the central area). Report inappropriate content 4. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 5:12 AM When I suggested buying in advance I should have been clearer... we purchased our tickets in the Tabac just in the shopping strip before the main entrance.

They can also be purchased at various shops around Paris. Report inappropriate content 5. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 6:32 AM Or even at the banks of automated machines that surround the atrium under the glass pyramid. Report inappropriate content 6. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 6:44 AM I will have already purchased a museum pass, so that is a non-issue. I was just interested in the best entrance in order to have the fastest, least crowded route to the wing. Report inappropriate content 7. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 03, 2012, 7:10 AM You will find more detailed floor plans with all the room numbers if you download one of the PDF files: Report inappropriate content 8. Re: Louvre Sully Wing?

Dec 03, 2012, 12:03 PM The English-language plan is at louvre.fr/sites/default/files/medias/medias_… If you need any more advice, tell us which floor you are heading for, as room numbers on their own are not unique. Report inappropriate content 9. Re: Louvre Sully Wing? Dec 17, 2013, 5:17 PM -:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Removed on: 5:17 pm, December 17, 2013 1-9 of 9 replies Louvre, Paris Louvre - louvre.fr The Louvre, originally a royal palace but now the world's most famous museum, is a must-visit for anyone with a slight interest in art.

Some of the museum's most celebrated works of art include the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo. The Louvre Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It is housed in the expansive Louvre Palace, situated in the 1st arrondissement , at the heart of Paris. Louvre Museum Louvre Interior Venus of Milo The collection of the Louvre Museum was first established in the sixteenth century as the private collection of King Francis I. One of the works of art he purchased was the now famous Mona Lisa painting. The collection grew steadily thanks to donations and purchases by the kings. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Louvre became a national art museum and the private royal collection opened to the public. The museum has a collection of over one million works of art, of which about 35,000 are on display, spread out over three wings of the former palace. The museum has a diverse collection ranging from the Antiquity up to the mid-nineteenth century. Some of the most famous works of art in the museum are the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, the Dying Slave by Michelangelo and of course Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

After entering the museum through the Louvre Pyramid or via the Carrousel du Louvre, you have access to three large wings: Sully, Richelieu and Denon. Below a brief description of the highlights in each wing. Sully Wing Seated Scribe The Sully wing is the oldest part of the Louvre. The second floor holds a collection of French paintings, drawings and prints. One of the highlights is the erotic Turkish Bath, painted in the late eighteenth century by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The first and ground floors of the Sully wing display works from the enormous collection of antiquities. In the thirty rooms with Egyptian antiquities you find artifacts and sculptures from Ancient Egypt such as the famous Seated Scribe and a colossal statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II. On the ground floor is the statue of Aphrodite, better known as the 'Venus of Milo', one of the highlights of the Louvre's Greek collection. For something completely different, you can go to the Lower Ground Floor of the Sully wing where you can see some remnants of the medieval castle of the Louvre.

Richelieu Wing Mona Lisa Winged Victory Paintings from the Middle Ages up to the nineteenth century from across Europe are on the second floor of the Richelieu wing, including many works from master painters such as Rubens and Rembrandt. Some of the most notable works are the Lacemaker from Jan Vermeer and the Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, a fifteenth-century work by the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. The first floor of the Richelieu wing houses a collection of decorative arts, with objects such as clocks, furniture, china and tapestries. On the same floor are the sumptuously decorated Napoleon III Apartments. They give you an idea of what the Louvre interior looked like when it was still in use as a royal palace. The ground and lower ground floor are home to the Louvre's extensive collection of sculptures. They are arranged around two glass covered courtyards: Cour Puget and Cour Marly. The latter houses the Horses of Marly, large marble sculptures created in the eighteenth century by Guillaume Coustou. Nearby is the Tomb of Philippe Pot, supported by eight Pleurants ('weepers'). The ground floor also houses a collection of antiquities from the Near East.

The main attraction here is the Code of Hammurabi, a large basalt stele from the eighteenth century BC, inscribed with the Babylonian law code. Denon Wing The Denon Wing is the most crowded of the three wings of the Louvre Museum; the Mona Lisa, a portrait of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci on the first floor is the biggest crowd puller. There are other masterpieces however, including the Wedding Feast at Cana from Veronese and the Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I by Jacques Louis David. Another star attraction of the museum is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek marble statue displayed at a prominent spot in the atrium connecting the Denon wing with the Sully wing. The ground floor of the Denon wing houses the museum's large collection of Roman and Etruscan antiquities as well as a collection of sculptures from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. Here you find Antonio Canova's marble statue of Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. Even more famous is Michelangelo's Dying Slave. On the same floor are eight rooms with artifacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

Medieval sculptures from Europe are displayed on the lower ground floor of the Denon wing. History of the Louvre Palace The Louvre in the 15th century Louvre seen from across the Seine Richelieu Wing The Louvre was created in several phases. Originally built as a twelfth-century fortress by King Philip II, it was significantly expanded in the fourteenth century during the reign of King Charles V. Its current palatial appearance goes back to the late fifteenth century, when the original fortress was demolished and the wing along the Seine river was built. The palace was extended during the sixteenth century by architect Pierre Lescot, who expanded the palace into a complex with two courtyards. A decade later Catharina de Medici added the Tuileries Palace to the west of the Louvre. Construction on the Louvre was halted for some time when king Louis XIV decided to move to the Versailles Palace . In the nineteenth century, during the Second Empire, the Louvre was expanded again with the addition of the Richelieu wing. The wings were extended even further westward during the Third Empire. The Louvre now had four symmetric wings surrounding a large courtyard.

This would not last long, as the Communards burned the Tuileries Palace to the ground in 1871, opening up the west side of the palace. Louvre Pyramid Louvre Pyramid The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the Louvre Pyramid , which functions as the museum's main entrance. The pyramid was built in 1989 by the renowned American architect I.M. Pei. The glass pyramid allows the sunlight to enter the underground floor. The modern addition originally received mixed reviews, as it contrasts sharply with the classical design of the surrounding buildings, but today it is generally accepted as a clever solution which has given the museum a spacious central entrance without the need to touch the historic patrimony.

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Book this tour The Musée du Louvre | Paris Guide | Rough Guides The Musée du Louvre Europe » France » Paris » The Louvre » The Musée du Louvre It’s easy to be put off by tales of long queues outside the Pyramide, endless foot-wearying corridors amd multilingual jostles in front of the Mona Lisa, but there are ways around such hassles: you can use a back entrance, stop at one of the cafés or make for a less well-known section. Ultimately, the draw of the mighty collections of the Musée du Louvre is irresistible. A floor plan, available free from the information booth in the Hall Napoléon, will help you find your way around. It’s wise not to attempt to see too much – even if you spent the entire day here you’d only see a fraction of the collection. The museum’s size does at least make it easy to get away from the crowds – beyond the Denon wing you can mostly explore in peace. You can always step outside for a break, but three moderately expensive cafés are enticing and open all day.

From the Hall Napoléon under the Pyramide, stairs lead into each of the three wings: Denon (south), Richelieu (north) and Sully (east, around the giant quadrangle of the Cour Carré). Few visitors will be able to resist the allure of the Mona Lisa, in the Denon wing, housed along with the rest of the Louvre’s Italian paintings and sculptures and its large-scale French nineteenth-century canvases. A relatively peaceful alternative would be to focus on the grand chronologies of French painting and sculpture, in the Richelieu wing. For a complete change of scene, descend to the Medieval Louvre section on the lower ground floor of Sully where you’ll find the dramatic stump of Philippe-Auguste’s keep and vestiges of Charles V’s medieval palace walls. Antiquities The Antiquities galleries cover the sculptures, stone-carved writings, pottery and other relics of the ancient Near East, including the Mesopotamian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Phoenician civilizations, plus the art of ancient Persia. The highlight of this section is the boldly sculpted stonework, much of it in relief.

Watch out for the statues and busts depicting the young Sumerian prince Gudea, and the black, 2m-high Code of Hammurabi, a hugely important find from the Mesopotamian civilization, dating from around 1800 BC. Egyptian Antiquities contains jewellery, domestic objects, sandals, sarcophagi and dozens of examples of the delicate naturalism of Egyptian decorative technique, such as the wall tiles depicting a piebald calf galloping through fields of papyrus, and a duck taking off from a marsh. Among the major exhibits are the Great Sphinx, carved from a single block of pink granite, the polychrome Seated Scribe statue, the striking, life-size wooden statue of Chancellor Nakhti, a bust of Amenophis IV and a low-relief sculpture of Sethi I and the goddess Hathor. The collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, mostly statues, is one of the finest in the world. The biggest crowd-pullers in the museum, after the Mona Lisa, are here: the Winged Victory of Samothrace, at the top of Denon’s great staircase, and the Venus de Milo.

Venus is surrounded by hordes of antecedent Aphrodites, from the graceful marble head known as the “Kaufmann Head” and the delightful Venus of Arles to the strange Dame d’Auxerre. In the Roman section a sterner style takes over, but there are some very attractive mosaics from Asia Minor and vivid frescoes from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Islamic arts In 2012 an entirely new section of the museum, the department of Islamic arts, was opened in the restored Cour Visconti. More than 2500 objects, many never before displayed, have been gathered here from the Louvre’s own collections and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Under a stunning rippling glass-and-gold roof, meant to evoke a silk headscarf, you can admire anything from early Islamic inscriptions to intricate Moorish ivories, and from ninth-century Iraqi moulded glass to exquisite miniature paintings from the court of Mughal India.

French Sculpture The French Sculpture section is arranged on the lowest two levels of the Richelieu wing, with the more monumental pieces housed in two grand, glass-roofed courtyards: the four triumphal Marly Horses grace the Cour Marly, while Cour Puget has Puget’s dynamic Milon de Crotone as its centrepiece. The surrounding rooms trace the development of sculpture in France from painful Romanesque Crucifixions to the lofty public works of David d’Angers. The startlingly realistic Gothic pieces – notably the Burgundian Tomb of Philippe Pot, complete with hooded mourners – and the experimental Mannerist works are particularly rewarding, but towards the end of the course you may find yourself crying out for an end to all those gracefully perfect nudes and grandiose busts. You’ll have to leave the Louvre for Rodin, but an alternative antidote lies in the intense Italian and northern European sections, on the lower two floors of Denon, where you’ll find such bold masterpieces as two of Michelangelo’s writhing Slaves, Duccio’s virtuoso Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels, and some severely Gothic Virgins from Flanders and Germany.

Objets d’Art The vast Objets d’Art section, on the first floor of the Richelieu wing, presents the finest tapestries, ceramics, jewellery and furniture commissioned by France’s wealthiest and most influential patrons. Walking through the entire 81-room chronology affords a powerful sense of the evolution of aesthetic taste at its most refined and opulent. The exception is the Middle Ages section, which is of a decidedly pious nature, while the apotheosis of the whole experience comes towards the end, as the circuit passes through the breathtakingly plush apartments of Napoléon III’s Minister of State. Painting The largest section by far is Painting. A good place to start a tour of French painting is in the Sully wing with the master of French Classicism, Poussin, whose profound, mythological themes influenced artists such as Lorrain, Le Brun and Rigaud. After this grandly Classical suite of rooms, the more intimate paintings of Watteau come as a relief, followed by Chardin’s intense still lifes and the inspired Rococo sketches by Fragonard known as the Figures of Fantasy.

From the southern wing of Sully to the end of this section, the chilly wind of Neoclassicism blows through the paintings of Gros, Gérard, Prud’hon, David and Ingres, contrasting with the more sentimental style that begins with Greuze and continues into the Romanticism of Géricault and Delacroix. The final set of rooms takes in Millet, Corot and the Barbizon school of painting, prefiguring the Impressionists. The nineteenth century is most dramatically represented in the second area of the Louvre devoted to painting, on the first floor of the Denon wing. A pair of giant rooms is dedicated to Nationalism and Romanticism, respectively, featuring some of France’s best-known works including such gigantic, epic canvases as David’s Coronation of Napoleon in Notre Dame, Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, and Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, the icon of nineteenth-century revolution. Denon also houses the frankly staggering Italian collection.

The high-ceilinged Salon Carré – which has been used to exhibit paintings since the first “salon” of the Royal Academy in 1725 – displays the so-called Primitives, with works by Uccello, Giotto, Cimabue and Fra Angelico. To the west of the Salon, the famous Grande Galerie stretches into the distance, parading all the great names of the Italian Renaissance – Mantegna, Filippo Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Coreggio, Titian. The playfully troubled Mannerists kick in about halfway along, but the second half of the Galerie dwindles in quality and representativeness as it moves towards the eighteenth century. Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, along with Paolo Veronese’s huge Marriage at Cana, hangs in the Salle des États, a room halfway along the Galerie. If you want to catch La Joconde – as she’s known to the French – without a swarm of admirers, go first or last thing in the day. At the far end of Denon, the relatively small but worthwhile Spanish collection has some notable Goya portraits.

The western end of Richelieu’s second floor is given over to a more selective collection of German, Flemish and Dutch paintings, with a brilliant set of works by Rubens and no fewer than twelve Rembrandts, including some powerful self-portraits. Interspersed throughout the painting section are rooms dedicated to the Louvre’s impressive collection of prints and drawings, exhibited in rotation. Paris Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. - Paris Forum - TripAdvisor Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. - Paris Forum Review a place you’ve visited JOIN Which Paris hotels are on sale? mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. Feb 15, 2013, 2:48 AM Hello TA members. It might sound stupid, but after visiting the official website of Louvre and having searched at forum topics, i STILL dont understand Napoleon Hall. I am only interested in visiting the permanent collections not the temporary ones, but i googled Napoleon Hall and the picture i get is a huge spiral staircase (very impressive) obviously under the pyramid. So, if i dont get tickets to Napoleon Hall, i wont be able to access that part of the museum under the pyramid with that staircase???

Or i wont be able to enter specific parts where the temporary exhibits are??? Am i totally IDIOT or at a small percentage only?? Report inappropriate content Travelers interested in this topic also viewed... Show Prices 1. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. Feb 15, 2013, 3:16 AM the spiral staircase under the pyramid is in the entryway of the museum - -not a part of the Napoleon Apartments, and completely free to see (you'll have to go through security, though) The Napoleon Apartments are included in the price of your regular ticket. There are three wings to the Louvre -- Denon, Sully, and Richelieu -- there is not a "Napoleon Hall" -- the Napoleon Apartments are the section of the palace where Napoleon III lived, with all its furnishings -- it isn't really an art museum like the rest of the museum. Report inappropriate content 2. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. Feb 15, 2013, 3:19 AM sorry, i meant Hall Napoleon. Report inappropriate content 3. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question.

Feb 15, 2013, 4:53 AM I think what you mean is the Cour Napoleon, which is the main courtyard with the Pyramid entrance to the Louvre. You take the spiral staircase to go down into the central hall where you then have access to the different wings. This is where you will need to have a ticket which will be checked at the entrance to each wing. The Pyramid entrance is the one which always seems to have the longest security queue so you might want to use another entrance. Report inappropriate content 4. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. Feb 15, 2013, 5:00 AM Could be, afds! Yes, much easier to enter through the Carrousel de Louvre shopping centre. Report inappropriate content 5. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question. Feb 15, 2013, 5:02 AM what i mean is this: "Tickets for Exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon: €12" Report inappropriate content 6. Re: Napoleon Hall- Louvre Question.

Feb 15, 2013, 5:19 AM Thank you, oupsss, for giving me the opportunity to learn something new, I had no idea that the central hall is called the Hall Napoleon. I also had no idea that there was an exhibition space there, I just remember it as the starting point with information desks and escalators and lots of people milling about. This is what I found on the website: "Beneath the Pyramid is the Hall Napoleon, a 700 foot cavern which holds the ticket office, the excellent book store and the entranceways to all the exhibit areas. " Since your interest is in the permanent collection you don't need the ticket for the Hall Napoleon temporary exhibition or the combined ticket, just the 11 Euro ticket. Report inappropriate content Paris MYSTERIOUS - Musee du Louvre Museum - Guide Musee du Louvre (II) Finding your way around the museum There are two entrances to the museum where you can buy tickets. The main entrance, with a bookshop, café and information desk, is the Hall Napoléon, reached via the Pyramid or the underground Carrousel du Louvre.

The Carrousel du Louvre can be accessed directly from the metro, on either side of the Arc du Carrousel and at 99, rue de Rivoli. The other entrance, the Porte des Lions, at the Tuileries end of the Denon wing, gives direct access to the arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. For those who already have a ticket, the entrance in the passage Richelieu (between Place du Palais Royal and Cour Napoléon) avoids the queue for the pyramid. Lifts and escalators lead from the Hall Napoléon to each of the three wings of the four floor building. The wings are Sully, around the Cour Carrée; Denon, the south wing; and Richelieu, the north wing. At first overwhelming and seemingly nonsensical, the layout of the museum is a delight to unravel. The indispensable floor-plan, available free from the information desk in the hall Napoléon, highlights some of the more renowned masterpieces, such as the Mona Lisa, for those wishing to do a whistle-stop tour, although don't expect to be able to contemplate them peacefully.

The museum's collections are divided into seven main categories : Painting, prints and drawings, Oriental Antiquities and Islamic Arts, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Objets d'Art, and Sculpture. Each category spreads over more than one wing and several floors. There is also an exhibition on the history of the Louvre, called the Medieval Louvre in which you can visit the foundations of Philipe Auguste's fortress and Charles V's fourteenth-century palace conversion via the moats under the cour Carrée on the entresol (lower ground level) of the Sully wing. A new, though probably temporary, collection, made up of 120 works of art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, opened in 2000. It is likely that the collection will be moved to the new collection at the quai Branly in the near future. Getting Lost in the Louvre - Castlephile Travels Castlephile Travels Lauren The main pyramid in front of the Louvre You would think that on my third visit to the Louvre in as many years, I would know my way around, right? Wrong!

While the aim of this visit was to see the apartments of Napoleon III, I ended up walking around the same halls and corridors and seeing the same exhibitions that I had on my previous visits, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t find a way to escape them. Being drawn to the Denon Wing Perhaps the Louvre has a special funneling system that makes sure all of its visitors end up heading for the Denon wing, or perhaps the Denon wing simply has a more prominent entrance than the Richelieu and Sully wings. Whatever the reason is, I always find myself walking straight over to the Denon wing’s security line when in the Hall Napoléon. The Greco-Roman sculptures are among the first items that I seek out. From the masterpieces of the Venus de Milo, Psyche and Cupid, and the Winged Victory proudly standing at the top of the flight of stairs, to the lesser known but just as inspiring works, I find myself wondering about the reasons why the sculptor chose the particular design, and whether they modelled it after a real person or from their imagination.

It’s easy to tell which are my favourites – it seems I’ve taken photos of the same statues each time I’ve visited (at least my taste in sculpture is consistent)! The Venus de Milo Antonio Canova’s sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss Io ou Callisto, Suppliante Barberini – one of the sculptures in the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities section of the Louvre is one of the sculptures I seem to photograph on every visit Athena, known as the Ingres Minerva, part of the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities section of the Louvre The Galerie Daru, a hallway lined with Roman sculptures, always takes my breath away when I first see it. Ancient gods and goddesses, emperors, warriors, and muses look out unblinkingly as visitors make their way from the sculpture exhibit, past the Winged Victory of Samothrace and upstairs to the rooms of French and Italian Renaissance art. The Galerie Daru: beautiful at first sight, but when you can’t find your way out of the Louvre it loses its appeal! The Winged Victory of Samothrace Here you’ll find one of the most crowded areas in the Louvre.

Jostling for space in a crowd forty people deep, cameras held over their heads, everyone is here for one reason: to get a picture of a rather small painting by Leonardo da Vinci – the Mona Lisa. The People vs the Mona Lisa: unbelievable how big the crowd is all trying to photograph the Mona Lisa I’ve accepted that I’m not going to be able to take a decent photo of the Mona Lisa. My camera work is not good at the best of times, and here you’re not only battling against the other hundred people trying to take their own photos, but you’re trying to shoot through the protective perspex covering of the painting, which reflects not only the museum’s lights but the red lights from the cameras (and when I think about it, do I really need my own photo of the Mona Lisa when there are plenty of art books, prints and Internet images that are of far better quality?). Though you might not get enough time to stand in front of the painting and fully appreciate it, it’s still quite special to see. Not a great shot of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, but the best I could manage given the circumstances! In the hall behind the Mona Lisa were more paintings that I recognised, mostly from my high school French history textbooks.

It’s a surreal feeling to look at these paintings in person, to see Eugène Delacroix’s Lady Liberty leading the French, Napoleon struggling against the cold on his campaign to expand his empire, and the coronation of him and his Empress, Josephine. Liberty Leading the People, one of the French paintings in the Louvre by Eugène Delacroix Bonaparte Crossing the Alps, by Paul Delaroche Here is where I always get stuck. The Denon wing does not have a second floor, so I usually turn back and go down past the Winged Victory, through the Greek and Roman statues, back out to the Hall Napoléon, and up the spiral staircase to the exit, always thinking is that all there is to the Louvre? There’s more to the Louvre than the Denon Wing! I didn’t realise this until my parents told me about how they had visited Napoleon III’s Apartments in the Louvre. How had I missed out on those? And why hadn’t I found them in my previous wanderings around the Louvre? One of the painted ceilings of the Louvre Why did the Louvre feel like a labyrinth when it was clearly segmented into three U-shaped levels?

I’m blaming it on being a natural blonde, but somehow my habit of heading straight to the Denon wing had made me forget that there were two other wings in the Louvre. I realised this after studying the map for a while, and asking myself why it was that no matter how many stairs I climbed up and down, I never got away from the Mona Lisa and those omnipresent Roman statues. Feeling sheepish, I walked back out into the Hall Napoléon, and searched for the entrances to the Sully and Richelieu wings, to find out what surprises they had in store for me. Finding traces of the original Louvre in the Sully wing The foundations of the Louvre fortress, originally constructed in the twelfth century The Louvre was originally built in 1190 as a fortress during the rule of Philippe Auguste, to protect the city against the Normans. The fortress stood until the 16th century, when François I began transforming it into the palace you see today. It was impressive how well preserved the fortress walls were given their age You can view the medieval foundations of the fortress on the lower ground floor of the Sully wing which were uncovered during the 1980s.

As I walked around the walls, moat and remnants of the towers, I found it surreal to think of how old and yet well preserved the fortifications were. More foundations of the old Louvre fortress … and Napoleon III’s apartments in Richelieu The Cour Marly, gateway to the Napoleon III apartments Heading in to the Richelieu wing, I felt like I’m finally seeing a different side to the Louvre. I found myself in the Cour Marly, its glass roof reminiscent of the lattice pattern on the Louvre’s pyramids. The sculptures in this room were originally commissioned by Louis XIV for the Château de Marly and seem brighter and more impressive than the sculptures I left behind in the Galerie Daru. The staircase leading from Cour Marly to Napoleon III’s apartments From the Cour Marly, I climbed the stairs up to the first level of the Richelieu wing, and found my target. I felt like I was no longer in the world’s most famous art gallery. Here was the Louvre’s palatial side.

The Grand Dining Room, part of the Napoleon III apartments in the Louvre The Grand Salon, part of Napoleon III’s apartments The throne room in Napoleon III’s apartments As I moved through each room, I couldn’t help wondering if when the French kings used the Louvre as their winter palace, whether every room on every floor in every wing of the Louvre was so richly decorated. If I thought the painted ceilings throughout the rest of the Louvre were stunning, they were even more magnificent in the apartments. The chandeliers in the Grand Salon were so large they almost dominated the room. It’s sad to think that the royalty who once lived here probably didn’t have the same feeling of awe at their surroundings as the people who visit the Louvre today experience. The Louvre from the gardens I left satisfied that I learned a little bit more about the Musée du Louvre. The next time I visit, I’ll know my way around, and will make sure to explore other exhibits in the Richelieu and Sully wings! What was your experience of the Louvre? Share it in the comments! What you need to know: Long line to get in to the pyramids? That’s not the only way in to the Louvre.

Try one of the other entrances, such as that of 99 rue de Rivoli (Carrousel du Louvre) which will take you straight in to the Louvre via the inverted pyramid. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, but keep an eye out for longer opening hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Musee du Louvre, Paris, 2013 - YouTube Musee du Louvre, Paris, 2013 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 18, 2014 The Louvre, originally a royal palace but now the world's most famous museum, is a must-visit for anyone with a slight interest in art. Some of the museum's most celebrated works of art include the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo.The Louvre Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It is housed in the expansive Louvre Palace, situated in the 1st arrondissement, at the heart of Paris.

After entering the museum through the Louvre Pyramid or via the Carrousel du Louvre, you have access to three large wings: Sully, Richelieu and Denon. The Sully wing is the oldest part of the Louvre. The second floor holds a collection of French paintings, drawings and prints. One of the highlights is the erotic Turkish Bath, painted in the late 18th century by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The first and ground floors of the Sully wing display works from the enormous collection of antiquities. In the 30 rooms with Egyptian antiquities you find artifacts and sculptures from Ancient Egypt such as the famous Seated Scribe and a colossal statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II. On the ground floor is the statue of Aphrodite, better known as the 'Venus of Milo', one of the highlights of the Louvre's Greek collection. Paintings from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century from across Europe are on the second floor of the Richelieu wing, including many works from master painters such as Rubens and Rembrandt.

Some of the most notable works are the Lacemaker from Jan Vermeer and the Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, a 15th century work by the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. The first floor of the Richelieu wing houses a collection of decorative arts, with objects such as clocks, furniture, china and tapestries. Richelieu Wing On the same floor are the sumptuously decorated Napoleon III Apartments. They give you an idea of what the Louvre interior looked like when it was still in use as a royal palace. The ground and lower ground floor are home to the Louvre's extensive collection of sculptures. They are arranged around two glass covered courtyards: Cour Puget and Cour Marly. The latter houses the Horses of Marly, large marble sculptures created in the 18th century by Guillaume Coustou. Nearby is the Tomb of Philippe Pot, supported by eight Pleurants ('weepers'). Denon Wing The Denon Wing is the most crowded of the three wings of the Louvre Museum; the Mona Lisa, a portrait of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci on the first floor is the biggest crowd puller.

There are other masterpieces however, including the Wedding Feast at Cana from Veronese and the Consecration of Emperor Napoleon I by Jacques Louis David. Another star attraction of the museum is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek marble statue displayed at a prominent spot in the atrium connecting the Denon wing with the Sully wing. The ground floor of the Denon wing houses the museum's large collection of Roman and Etruscan antiquities as well as a collection of sculptures from the Renaissance to the 19th century. Here you find Antonio Canova's marble statue of Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. Even more famous is Michelangelo's Dying Slave. On the same floor are eight rooms with artifacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Medieval sculptures from Europe are displayed on the lower ground floor of the Denon wing. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, 8965 insider tips, photos, reviews & tickets Skip-the-Line Entrance Access to Louvre Museum with Local Host "Once you meet your local provider at the meeting point he will guide you past the lines for a quick and easy access. Once inside the museum your tour will be self-guided.

You can thus see what you are interested in such as the “Mona Lisa” and “Venus de Milo.” Discover masterpieces of the Renaissance and ancient Egyptian relics along with paintings from the 13th to 20th centuries prints from the Royal Collection and much more. The collection is divided among 8 curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek Skip the Line Ticket: Louvre in Paris "The Louvre (French: Musée du Louvre) in Paris is the most visited and famous art museum in the world. The structure is located on the Right Bank in the 1st arrondissement between the Seine River and the Rue de Rivoli. The structure originated as a palace during the Capetian dynasty under the reign o such as Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa The Virgin and Child with St. Anne Madonna of the Rocks Jacques Louis David's Oath of the Horatii Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

The equestrian statue of Louis XIV constitutes the starting point of the ""axe historique Skip the Line: Louvre Museum Audio Tour "Once you have collected your museum map and audio guide in a choice of nine languages head to the Louvre and skip the long entrance lines to start your tour. The Louvre is one of the world’s largest museums but don’t be intimidated – your handy map provides suggested routes to help you plan your visit and your educational audio guide allows you to enjoy a more meaningful museum experience. As you make your way through the museum listen to commentary about the fascinating history and significance of the many artistic masterpieces you encounter from the iconic Greek statue Venus de Milo to the staggeringly large painting of The Coronation of Napoleon to Leonardo da Vinci’s famously enigmatic Mona Lisa. Admire sculptures by Michelangelo and paintings by Raphael Rubens and Rembrandt. View the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi and other ancient artifacts. There’s so much to see!Your audio guide provides a summary of some of the most popular and most famous exhibits at the Louvre

Question: Where in Paris would you find The Richelieu Wing, The Sully Wing and The Napoleon Hall?
Answer: The Louvre